Frustration
by CardaHugg
Summary: Basically just a bunch of one-shots about Frank and Laurel. Laurel will probably get injured in a lot of them, because I love seeing Frank break down. Is that a bad thing?
1. Chapter 1

It's not like Frank wanted it to happen. He just didn't know when to stop. He wanted to hide his feelings for her, so he picked on her more than the others.

He didn't think it would lead to this.

It started out with him just being annoying. He would call her on more mistakes, and he knew it would lead the other students to tease her about it later.

Then it got worse. He made fun of her over _everything_. The other students laughed less, but still teased her about it _endlessly_.

One day, after a comment on how she must never get laid because she is so stressed, she snapped.

"You know what, enough! I'm done! I don't know if this is some kind of test to see if I can handle myself when I'm an actual lawyer, or if this is just because I'm the only one in the group that wouldn't stand up for myself, but either way I'm done!" She spoke in a normal tone, which only made it that much worse.

She glared at all of the students. "You guys harass me day after day, and I don't know why I put up with it for so long. Well, I'm sick of it!"

Frank reached out to try and calm her down, but she spun around to face him. "Don't touch me! You started all of this, and I don't know what your problem is! If you have nothing better to do with your time than bully me, maybe _you_ should get laid."

Laurel turned to Annalise, leaving Frank stunned.

"Annalise, it was a pleasure studying under you, but I can't do this anymore." Laurel gave a sad smile. "I quit, and I hope you win this case."

With that, she was gone, leaving everyone shocked and guilty. Frank hesitated for a split second, then rushed after her.

"Laurel! Wait up!" He shouted, running to catch her. But she was faster than he gave her credit for. She was already around the corner by the time he rushed down the front steps.

She didn't see the truck running the red light, but he did. A split second before she would have been flattened, he pushed her out of the way and cushioned her fall.

She jumped up after recovering from the initial shock. "Oh, my God. Are you okay?"

Frank got up more slowly, wincing. "Yeah, just bruised. But before you run, let me explain why I did everything that I did."

Laurel thought for a second, then nodded and pulled him over to the sidewalk.

"Okay, so I know it's going to sound crazy, but I need to get this out. Laurel, I love you, and it almost took me too long to realize it. I only teased you because I thought you might find out, and I didn't want to jeopardize your position working for Annalise."

Laurel stared at him, shocked. Finally, she spoke. "Frank, regardless of how much you bullied me, I always had feelings for you. But I can't just forgive you. You need to find a way to earn my trust. For now, I just need to think."

She walked away, leaving Frank speechless. Of course she wasn't going to take him back just like that. He'd forgotten that was what was so special about her. She wasn't like other girls.

Now he just had to find a way to her heart.


	2. Chapter 2

**If you want me to continue the first chapter, I will do so in a different story. I'm sorry it was so short! I promise this one is longer and it ****_will_**** have a resolution.**

Annalise was out, probably looking for a new way to win their latest case, and Bonnie was God-knows-where. This left Frank in control of the office, and of the two students that were digging through documents rather than going and finding witnesses. Asher and Connor both had the same idea to stay behind while the others went to go lie their way to the truth. Or a version of it.

The phone began to ring, and Frank sighed. It was probably their client. He was one of the whiny ones.

"Hello?" Frank used his most indifferent tone to answer.

_"Hello, is this Annalise Keating's office?"_

Frank frowned. Usually people called because they _knew_ it was Annalise Keating's office.

"Yes, this is one of her law partners. May I ask who's calling?"

_"This is General Hospital. There's a girl here that insists on talking to y-"_

There seemed to be a scuffle over the phone, and Frank waited impatiently, wanting to know what was going on.

_"Hey! Sorry, who am I talking to?"_

Frank hesitated, not believing who was on the other end. "Laurel?"

_"Oh, hey Frank." _You could hear the hesitation in her voice as she decided whether she could talk to him or not.

"Laurel, why are you at the hospital?" He was worried now.

_"It's nothing, I promise. I can still work the case. The doctors wanted me to stay here for a full examination, but I'm fine, so I signed myself out. But they've got me on some pretty heavy pain meds, and they wanted someone to pick me up. I was hoping someone there could."_ She rushed to correct herself.

_"Only if it's not any trouble. If no one can come, I'm sure I'll be able to sneak out. Actually, never mind. I can drive home. See ya Frank!"_

"No! Wait!" He made sure the line was still connected. "I'll be right there. Don't leave your room until I get there, okay?"

_"Mhm. Bye!" _He heard her giggle over the phone before she disconnected the call.

Frank gave some halfhearted excuse to Asher and Connor before rushing out the door and into his car.

When he arrived at the front desk in the hospital, he must have looked like a madman. His hair was out of place, and he was gasping for air after running up the hospital's front steps and through the lobby.

"I'm here for Laurel Castillo. She already signed out, and I'm her ride," he stated to the receptionist. She nodded and gave him the room number.

"She's lucky to have a boyfriend who can help."

Frank didn't bother to correct her, and he ran to Laurel's room.

She was sitting on the edge of the bed, and she looked terrible. She had a cut running across her forehead that was still an angry red, a split lip, and a bloody nose. Her left arm was in a sling, and she had cuts that stood out on her knuckles and arms. She limped when she stood, and he hurried forward to steady her.

"What. The. _Hell_. Happened?" Frank asked through gritted teeth.

"It wasn't my fault! The guy ran a red light and hit my car," she defended, not realizing Frank was only worried, not angry.

Frank grabbed her chin and examined the cut on her forehead. "Where are you hurt?"

She shrugged, then winced. "I have a cut from hitting the window, and a split lip and bloody nose from the airbag. I fractured my arm in two places, and I have a mild ankle sprain. I have bruised ribs from the impact."

"They are letting you go with those injuries?" He asked, incredulous.

She averted her eyes. "I signed myself out Against Medical Advice."

Frank's nostrils flared, but he remained silent. "Come on. I'm taking you home."

"What? Why? I can still work the case! I have to work the case!" Laurel exclaimed.

Frank led her out of the hospital and into his car, ignoring her protests.

When she seemed to run out of reasons why she didn't need to go home, he began to talk.

"You're high on pain meds right now, so there's no way you're working the case. I'll cover for you. And we're not going to your apartment, we're going to mine."

This brought on another round of whining, and he fought to convince her it would be better.

"Look, I can keep a closer eye on you at my place, okay? That way you don't hurt yourself."

That shut Laurel up, and she stared out the window for the rest of the ride.

As they were walking into Frank's apartment, he asked the question he'd been holding back the entire ride.

"What injuries did he have?"

Laurel paused. "He walked away without a scratch. The police are looking for him right now."

Frank wanted to punch something. "He _ran away_?"

She nodded, then sat down on the couch.

"Hey, do you mind if I sleep here tonight?" She asked.

He shook his head. "I'd rather you slept in the bed. I'll sleep out here."

Laurel took one look at his bed and refused. "That bed is big enough for the both of us. That way, neither of us have to sleep on the couch."

He smiled, the first time since he'd gotten that phone call. "That's very lawyer-like of you."

"No, a good lawyer would have been able to convince you to sleep naked."

He froze, shocked at her boldness. The medication must not have left her system yet, because there's no way she would have said that otherwise.

He broke into an easy smile. "There's still time."

That night, both of them climbed into bed-the same bed-and whispered goodnight.

Both were thinking the exact same thing:

_What happened that gave me the pleasure of sleeping in the same bed as this incredible man/woman?_

**Love it? Hate it? Give me feedback! Feel free to request a scenario where Laurel gets hurt and Frank finds out and helps!**


	3. Chapter 3

**I loved all of the reviews, and thank you for following/favoriting this story!**

**This chapter comes from a guest named Fabiana.**

**Request: What about an old angry client kidnapping Laurel, and Frank being totally worried and freaking out about it? Then when they find her, she is wounded?**

**I also got a few requests to expand the first chapter, so I'll get right on that.**

**Anyway, enjoy!**

"I swear, if she ever gets here, I'm going to kill her!"

Frank turned the corner to find Michaela standing with her fists balled at her sides in front of the mildly surprised students.

"What's the matter, Prom Queen?" he asked.

She spun around to face him. "It's Laurel! She gave me the wrong notes for our test tomorrow!"

Frank tried to hide his grin. "And why would she do that?"

Asher spoke up from behind her. "Maybe it's because you stole her strategy for winning the last case and took all of the credit."

Michaela whirled on him. "Shut it, Asher."

Frank frowned. "Is that true? Because if Frat Boy's telling the truth, I have to report it to Annalise. She won't be happy. And if you did take all the credit, you had the whole notes thing coming."

He walked out of the room and into Annalise's office. He explained the entire situation, and Annalise said she would handle it. He excused himself and stepped out of the building.

He pulled out his cellphone and dialed Laurel's number.

_"Hey, it's Laurel. I can't get to the phone right now, so leave your name and a message after the beep!"_

_Beep._

"Hey, it's Frank. You're late, and I wanted to make sure you were okay. Call me back as soon as possible."

He ended the message, concerned. Laurel _always_ answered the phone when he called. He stood in the chilly air, debating whether to go inside or call her again.

Frank walked back to the students.

Laurel woke up to the sound of dripping water.

She opened her eyes and groaned. Her head was killing her.

She tried to move her hands and feet, but they wouldn't budge. She looked down to see that she was tied to a chair. She examined her surroundings and determined she was in a basement.

_Ring._

Laurel looked around frantically, trying to locate the source of the ring.

_Ring. Ring._

That was Frank's ringtone. She struggled against the rope keeping her bound and cried out when the rubbed her hands raw, only to find her mouth was covered in a piece of duct tape.

She saw her screen's glow and read the new notification.

_One missed call from Frank._

Another one followed.

_Voicemail from Frank._

Laurel felt tears prick her eyes, and one leaked when she heard footsteps descend the stairs presumably leading to her.

When her door opened, she saw a her captor for the first time.

Frank was getting worried.

Laurel hadn't shown up, and it was unlike her to be two hours late. In fact, she was always early.

He gave the students an assignment, and they didn't say anything when he walked back outside.

Frank pulled out his phone, and his thumb hovered over Laurel's name.

_Screw it,_ he thought, and made the call.

It got to the third ring when someone picked up.

The man was fairly young, maybe thirty years old. He was also glaring at her, and he didn't look like someone you wanted to be mad at you.

He looked fit, but not extremely strong. He was wearing a white shirt and jeans, and he was holding a baseball bat in one hand, and a gun in the other.

Laurel wasn't sure when she had stopped breathing, but she realized she was getting dizzy and let out all of the air in her lungs.

He stepped forward, but the moment was ruined when her phone went off again.

_Ring. Ring. Ring._

It was Frank again. She hoped he was looking for her. Surely he realized there was something wrong?

Her captor reached for her phone. "Ah, Frank. I remember him. Glad to know he's the one calling you. After all, he's the one that screwed me over," he said in a gruff voice.

He answered the phone.

"Hello, I'm afraid that the owner of this phone is busy at the moment, so I'll have to ask you to call back."

There was a pause on the other end. Then, "_Who is this?_"

The man laughed. "Come on, Frank! You know exactly who I am!"

_"Miller?"_

"Miller" laughed. "Good job! You got it! Unfortunately, you took too long to answer, so little Laurel here will have to pay the price."

_"Laurel's there? Is she okay?"_

Miller looked at her. "She's fine. But I still have to punish her because you took too long!"

_"What? No!"_ Frank sounded terrified.

"Here, I'll let you watch." Miller switched to FaceTime and set the phone up so Frank could see all of Laurel. After he made sure Frank was watching, he began.

He brought the baseball bat down.

Frank was horrified. Jack Miller had broken Laurel's leg with the baseball bat, and then he grazed her on the face. It was hard enough to leave a cut on her cheek, but not strong enough to knock her out.

Then, Laurel's phone battery died, leaving Frank frightened. But then he got angry. He called a friend in the police force and told him about the entire situation. Then he hopped in his car and raced off to Jack Miller's house.

Laurel was in agony.

Her leg burned, and she could feel the blood dripping from her cut. She was disgusted, but relieved to see her phone had died. That way, Frank didn't have to watch her suffer.

The rope binding her hands to the chair was loose enough for her to slip out of it, now that she had thrashed so much she had practically untied it.

Miller didn't notice, and he brought the bat down.

Laurel caught it, but her hands hurt to the point where she couldn't hold on for long. She managed to wrestle the bat away from him, and she got a hit in on his chest.

While he gasped for breath, she untied her feet and raced out the door. By the time she was out, he was preventing her from closing it completely.

He squeezed the gun through the gap and aimed it at her. She didn't have time to react before he fired.

Frank was definitely speeding.

Not that he cared, of course. This was a life or death situation. Laurel's life.

With that thought, he pressed down on the gas just a little bit harder.

Sirens went off behind him, and he knew they weren't to pull him over. He thanked Johnny for sending officers that quickly.

He sped into Jack's driveway, and heard a shot go off inside.

He ran faster than he ever had in his life and kicked in the front door, expecting to find Laurel lying on the floor in a pool of blood.

Instead, Laurel was standing over Jack Miller's body, the gun in her hands still pointed at him, as if she was expecting him to get up and attack her again.

Frank stepped over Jack's body and grasped Laurel's shoulders. She continued to stare at Miller, even as she lowered the gun.

"Laurel."

She finally met his gaze, and her face was blank, which was enough to terrify Frank.

"C'mon. Let's get you checked out." He couldn't stop staring at her face, and it wasn't because of the cut that now marred her cheek.

He led her to an ambulance, where they loaded her in and asked Frank to ride separately. They told him where she was headed, and took off.

Frank was right behind them.

Laurel thanked the doctor again, and stared at her new cast. It was pink, and she wondered if it would be childish to ask someone to sign it.

Frank burst through the door, his hair tousled and his eyes wild. When he saw her, he rushed over.

"Are you okay?"

She gave him a look and he grimaced.

"Right. Sorry."

An awkward silence followed, and Laurel was the first to break it.

"Aren't you curious about what happened?"

Frank started, taken aback. "I am, but only if you're ready to talk about it."

She sighed. "I don't know if it will ever be okay to talk about, but I think this is the only time I'd be willing to tell you what happened."

_-Flashback-_

The gun went off, but the shot went wide, and Laurel slammed the door on Miller's wrist. He howled in pain and dropped the gun. She snatched it and fled to the living room.

She didn't hear the sirens, but she saw Miller run at her, and she fired.

He fell, and she watched him bleed out in a matter of seconds. She would later find out that she had a streak of luck and managed to hit his heart.

She was frozen until Frank had approached her, and even then she hadn't quite realized what she had done.

It didn't hit her until they were halfway to the hospital, and even then, she didn't shed a tear over his death.

Frank was in awe.

Laurel had managed to overcome a man twice her age, then had escaped even after being tortured.

But now she was looking at him expectantly. He must have looked confused, because she explained.

"Who was 'Miller' and how did he know you?" she asked.

He frowned. "Jack Miller was an old client. Annalise won his case, but he decided to flaunt his victory by robbing a bank, and he asked me to get Annalise to represent him. I refused, telling him that we had already represented him, and that we would not do it again. He wasn't happy, and I knew he was upset, but I never thought he would do this."

Laurel breathed out a sigh of relief. "So he wasn't some exboyfriend or anything?"

Frank's eyes almost popped out of his head. "_What_?"

Laurel played with a string that had come loose from her sweater. "The way he talked, it sounded like you two were something more."

He spluttered. "He had a small crush on me, but I-I didn't-"

She laughed. "It's okay. I know what you mean."

Frank looked at her cast. "May I?" he asked, gesturing to the Sharpie on her bedside table.

She looked surprised, but then grinned. "Yes, please!"

He scrawled his name on the bright bandages, and laughed at the almost childlike expression on her face.

Maybe he could make her forget everything, just maybe.

Even after Laurel made a full recovery, Frank was still overprotective of her. If she didn't answer her phone on the second try, he would seek her out.

Their relationship was complicated. They both knew they were more than friends, but neither of them wanted it to affect their work life.

Annalise figured it out, of course, and allowed the relationship as long as it didn't have an effect on their work or studies.

Maybe not the happiest ending, but certainly not a sad one.

**So that's Chapter 3!**

**Thanks again to Fabiana for the prompt.**

**Request another scenario below!**

**I'll get back to my other stories, I promise! I haven't abandoned them, but I got this request, and I wanted to get it out before I lost my little inspirational spark.**

**You can request a scenario for this story, or you can request a story from another show/movie/book in a review. **

**Followers of "Guilt", thank you for all of the reviews! You guys are awesome! I'll start on Chapter 2 ASAP.**

**Followers of "The Fear Game", I know I said "Chapter Two coming soon!" and you guys are probably mad because it hasn't been out yet, but it's on its way!**


	4. Chapter 4

**This request comes from the fabulous Fabiana!**

**Request: Laurel is in a bar and some guy is trying to r*** her and Frank saves the day**

**This entire chapter will be from Frank's point of view, unlike the last one.**

Frank stared at the bottom of his now empty glass and signaled the bartender for another drink without looking up.

It had been another rough day at the office. He avoided Laurel at all costs, but glanced at her at every available chance. He kept himself busy by running errands for Annalise. Bonnie cast him a knowing look every time he felt jealous because Laurel mentioned her boyfriend. That burning jealousy was what brought him to bar in a rough part of town at eleven at night.

The bartender gave him a sympathetic smile as he refilled Frank's drink. Frank just drained it and welcomed the sensation of it burning down his throat. He asked for another, but the bartender shook his head.

_"_What the hell? I'm not drunk!" Frank yelled, indignant.

"I know, but whatever girl is causing you that much angst, you should find her and talk to her. You shouldn't be trying to forget her by drowning in whiskey," the bartender countered.

Frank was about to argue when he heard a familiar voice.

"Go away! I'm sick of guys. They always ruin everything."

Frank turned sharply toward Laurel's slurred voice. He spotted her puffy eyes and flushed cheeks after he spotted the man next to her.

The man was clearly hitting on her, but she didn't seem to want him anywhere near her. Frank got up and attempted to pay the bartender, but he waved away the money.

"This one's on the house."

Frank smiled appreciatively and made his way to Laurel. The man had advanced to putting his hand on her shoulder, but she shrugged him off. Frank could tell that the man was getting angry with her refusal.

"Hello Laurel. Why don't you introduce me to your friend here?" Frank asked, plastering a fake smile on his face.

Laurel hardly glanced at him. "Mike, this is Frank. Frank, this is Mike."

Frank kept the grin on his face, but began to worry. Laurel was more drunk than he'd ever seen anyone be.

Mike eyed him. "So you're the one that she dumped. I gotta tell you, I'm surprised. Guy like you probably has another woman out there, though, eh?" Mike winked.

Laurel stood shakily. "C'mon Mike. Let's just go."

Mike put his arm around her waist and practically dragged Laurel out the door.

Frank frowned and began to go after them when the bartender interrupted.

"So that's why you were here? She dumped you?"

He shook his head. "No. I have no idea what that was about. But I don't trust that guy for one second. I'm going after them."

The bartender nodded. "Go get 'em, man."

Frank jogged out of the front door, but didn't see Laurel or Mike anywhere. Then he heard some shouts from the alley next to the bar.

He rounded the corner and found Mike pushing Laurel against the wall. Laurel could barely stand, let alone fight for herself.

Frank rushed in and threw Mike to the ground. Laurel collapsed and Frank held onto her, helping her lean against the wall. The he turned to Mike and punched him as hard as he could. He didn't even try to fight back and ran off, leaving Frank alone with Laurel.

Speaking of Laurel, he whirled around to face her, only to find that she was giggling. He began to check for head injuries when she spoke up.

"You saved me. My knight in shining armor." This brought on another round of giggling.

"You saved me from him..." The giggles trailed off and shifted into sobs. Frank helped her stand and she leaned on him heavily for support.

He managed to get her into the passenger seat of his nearby car, and he made sure she was buckled in before he approached the driver's side.

It was silent for most of the ride to her apartment, but then she began to talk.

"I don't know why I did it."

Frank started. He wasn't expecting her to speak, but he replied. "What? Break up with your boyfriend?"

Laurel sighed. "No. Why I even dated him. I knew it wasn't going to work."

He was interested now. "Why?"

"Because I didn't love him as much as you."

Frank's heart stopped, then started again at a much faster pace.

"Oh?"

"Yeah. He was a way for me to forget about seeing you. Anything I felt for you, I took out on him." Frank didn't think she was even aware who she was talking to.

"Besides, he was someone I could actually have. You weren't open for negotiation. You're my mentor, and there's no way it would work."

They drove in silence for a while, and he looked over to see what had caused the sudden pause in the conversation. Laurel was fast asleep, and her breaths were making the window cloud up where she was leaning her head.

Frank felt bad to move her when she looked so peaceful, but he had to make sure she woke up in her own bed.

He managed to get her into her apartment after a very awkward search for the key, and unceremoniously dumped her onto the bed.

He arranged the covers so that she would be comfortable, and then placed to Advil and a glass of water on the bedside table.

Frank kissed her forehead and smiled.

"Sweet dreams, Laurel."

**I'm sorry it's not longer. I'm also sorry for the holdup in my other stories. My birthday was Friday, and I've been busy since then.**

**Please request a scenario for Frank and Laurel in the reviews and I will be sure to get on it!**


	5. Chapter 5

**I know I haven't been here in a while, but the important thing is that I'm back now! I have another request to fill, so here we go!**

**Fabiana: What about Laurel breaking up with her boyfriend and he doesn't take it well and starts to stalk her, then Frank gets angry and worried?**

**(I know a lot of others had requests, and trust me, you guys are coming up. I'm just thinking of a story line for you. Specifically: EruditeCandorAbnegation, The Mistress Snape, Kenton Morgan, and I know there was another, I just can't think of the name.)**

**Let's get started! *Rubs hands together in an evil way***

Laurel hated breaking up with Khan, but there was no way she could keep pretending that when she kissed him, she was thinking of a certain bearded law partner. She hated the look on his face, the hurt there, but she knew she made the right choice.

She tried to avoid Frank at all available costs, but there were times where she couldn't resist glimpsing at his face, just to see if he was looking at her in that heated way he did after their first kiss. Every time they made eye contact, he averted his eyes to a paper he always seemed to be holding.

After he found out she was thinking of taking another job, he had kissed her just as desperately as the first time.

Not that she was complaining.

About a week after she broke up with Khan, Laurel noticed a car following her. She didn't think much of it, maybe it was a new client of Annalise's. But when she pulled into the driveway, the car only slowed, then continued.

She frowned, but dismissed it and took a sip of her coffee. The driver had probably gotten lost and was looking for something to tell them where they were. She just happened to be on the same route.

Laurel got out of her car, walked into the law office, and thought about the incident. But she only chose to think about it, not to act.

That was her first mistake.

Laurel was distant throughout the rest of the day, and Frank noticed. How could he not? He thought maybe the sex would lessen the thoughts of her, but it seemed to be doing the opposite.

He found himself studying her facial expressions, interpreting them and defining them, filing them away for future reference. The way her brow furrowed when she was concentrating, the slight smirk when she did something the others couldn't, even the way her eyes looked when they were lying in bed next to one another, just enjoying the company.

Looking at her now, he could see her focusing on something other than the case in front of them. Her eyes wandered, then snapped back to her papers while she hoped no one noticed her absent mind.

Frank did.

He noticed when she casually glanced out the window in the direction of her car, frowned, then returned to her notes. He noticed when she stood up abruptly, went outside with an excuse to get something out of her car, and came back in empty-handed with her lips pressed in a tight line.

He meant to broach the subject when everyone was packing up. Maybe he could call her aside, but that might draw the other students' attention. He settled on waiting until the others left and she was almost out the door to call her.

"Laurel?"

She whirled around, obviously not thrilled at being pulled back when she was almost free. "What?"

Frank motioned for her to sit next to him. "Are you okay? You seemed kinda off today."

He didn't miss the way she glanced over her shoulder. If he didn't know better he would think she was paranoid.

She stood suddenly, as if remembering something. "Frank, I'm okay. Really. But I need to get home, and I just realized that I have an exam tomorrow in another class and I have to study. If it makes you feel better, you can call me later."

Laurel was only a few steps from the door when he called out again. "Are you meeting with Khan? Is that why you're lying?"

Laurel grimaced. While she had been feeling guilty about hurting Khan and thinking of the mystery car earlier this morning, she had forgotten to tell Frank about the breakup.

"I dumped Khan a week ago," she said flatly, though she couldn't hide her wince at the harshness of the word "dumped".

She didn't see him move, but he was suddenly wrapping her in his embrace.

"I'm..." he trailed off, not totally sure how to comfort her.

"Don't apologize. It was my fault, if you want to call it that. I couldn't stop thinking about you, and he was just someone to let out all of the emotion on. He was kind, though. He didn't deserve to have me play him like that."

Frank just held her tighter. There was a noise outside the window, and Laurel jumped back.

She rushed to the door and threw it open, just in time to see a person in black rush across the street, away from the office. The days were shorter, so it was already dark out, and Laurel lost him as he flew down the opposite street.

Leaving Frank behind, she ran to her car, jumped in, and sped off in the same direction. She ignored Frank's figure in her rearview mirror, waving at her to stop. She approached the end of the street, but the mysterious man was nowhere to be seen. She hit the steering wheel and cursed.

She made a U-Turn and headed back to Annalise's place. Frank had one foot in his car when he spotted her. He hopped out of it and rushed over.

She took a deep breath and prepared for the questions. She stepped out of her car and was overwhelmed by Frank's worried inquiries and frantic touches as if to make sure she was okay.

Laurel shrugged him off and trudged inside the house. Frank was on her heels, and she rolled her eyes when he insisted on checking over her.

"This is ridiculous. I wasn't attacked. I took off in my car because I thought I saw my neighbor's dog," she lied, wanting to make him stop fussing.

He raised an eyebrow and paused his actions. "A dog? That's your excuse?"

Laurel nodded hastily. "My neighbor, Hannah, was taking her dog for a walk when she slipped and fell. She let go of the leash, and the dog chased after a stray cat. There's been no sign of him since, and he's an older dog, and-"

Frank chuckled and cut her off. "It's okay. I understand." He looked so much more relieved thinking she was safe.

She decided to leave it that way.

That was her second mistake.

Frank watched Laurel leave after kissing her goodbye, even though they made sure Annalise was out doing whatever she does and Bonnie was running errands.

Something was off about her excuse for leaving so abruptly, and he didn't see why seeing a dog, even a lost one, could cause that kind of reaction. He dismissed the notion that she was lying.

After all, she wouldn't lie to him, would she?

Laurel got home around seven, and slumped against the door once it was closed. She had almost told Frank about the suspected creep, but lost her nerve.

She dressed for bed and sank as deep into her mattress as she could, but she found that no matter how tight she pulled her covers around her, she was never safe from the ever-moving shadows in the dark. She sat up and turned on the lamp.

There was no one there.

She let out a strangled breath she didn't realize she was holding. Her hand over her heart, she headed to her kitchen and started to make a cup of tea.

Laurel was about to pour the steaming water into the mug, when a rag was placed under her nose, and everything faded away.

Frank tossed and turned in bed.

Ever since he had really thought Laurel's excuse through, he had started to think that he had been lied to. Her eyes had darted around before finally settling on his face, staying there until she had finished.

The worry overpowered him, and he tried to call her.

No answer.

_Screw it_, Frank thought. He got out of bed and dressed the best he could with no lights on. He drove to Laurel's apartment complex and jogged up the stairs to her door.

He knocked, only to discover that the door was already slightly open. He stepped inside cautiously and looked around.

"Laurel?" he whispered. There was no sign of her, but there was a faint smell of tea in the air.

He wandered into the kitchen, ignoring the fact that he probably looked like a creep.

There was an empty mug on the counter, sitting next to a still steaming kettle.

Then he noticed the note.

**I know that I ended it prematurely, but I think I'm going to make this a two-parter. Please keep requesting, and I'll try to juggle Part 2 and what you want. See you soon!**

**-Carda**


End file.
